Walking slowly out from the auction house's VIP section, under the watchful and respectful gazes of two pretty maids, Du Fei entered a small hall on the side and unceremoniously took a seat in the center.

After waiting quietly for a while, hurried footsteps could be heard from outside the door, followed by a figure quickly entering.

"Hehe, I apologize for the wait. There were some final tasks to wrap up after the auction, and I got delayed. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!" With an earnest smile on his face, Yuan Hong slightly bowed and then spoke in a low voice.

"It's fine. I didn't wait long." Du Fei coldly replied, seemingly indifferent to Yuan Hong's earnestness. "If everything is done, give me the item. I'm in a hurry."

"Hehe, please wait a moment. We still have some things to sort things out in the back before we can deliver your item. Please be patient. Since you won the item in the auction, I guarantee it will definitely be handed to you," Yuan Hong said with a smile.

"That's good to hear!" Du Fei nodded slightly, then took the teacup next to him and began to twirl it, remaining silent thereafter.

Seeing Du Fei's demeanor, Yuan Hong didn't dare to speak much. Initially, he had thought of Du Fei as just a regular alchemist, but now he had elevated Du Fei's mystery to an unimaginable level in his mind.

Being an alchemist himself, Yuan Hong was well aware that alchemists were somewhat eccentric. If one spoke carelessly in front of them, they might unintentionally meet their demise.

After a silent wait in the hall, a maid pushed open the door and entered with in a silver tray.

Seeing the items arrive, Yuan Hong chuckled and then took out the two items from the tray, placing them in front of Du Fei. "Sir, these are the items you won at the auction. You can check them. No one has opened them. And in this crystal card, there are a hundred thousand gold coins. I hope you accept it with graciously."

Hearing this, Du Fei raised an eyebrow, pausing for a moment before calmly asking, "What do you mean?"

"Hehe, as I mentioned earlier in the VIP section, our auction house will not charge any commission fee for this transaction. Your elixir was auctioned for 400,000 gold coins, and the cost of the item you bought was also 400,000 gold coins. Usually, we would charge a commission fee of 100,000 gold coins for such an item. But since we promised not to charge, we have naturally returned it to you... As for this crystal card, it is the highest-grade item our auction house can obtain. Only such an item is worthy of your stature. Please accept it," Yuan Hong explained with a smile in response to Du Fei's confusion.

Upon hearing this, Du Fei slightly furrowed his brow for a moment, then pondered and said calmly, "Tell me, what do you want in return?"

"Hehe, you are truly a smart person. I won't beat around the bush then!" Yuan Hong clapped his hands. "As you've witnessed, the elixir you've created has garnered significant attention. And this is just in a small city. If it were to appear in a larger city, its price would be driven up astronomically... Therefore, our auction house wishes to collaborate with you. We would provide the ingredients, venue, and distribution channels. You would only be responsible for creating the elixir. Once the deal is completed, we split the profits fifty-fifty. What do you say?"

"I'm not interested in such trivial matters," Du Fei paused before replying indifferently, "However, I can promise you that if I ever wish to sell such an elixir in the future, I'll give priority to your auction house."

Hearing Du Fei's words, Yuan Hong's expression slightly stiffened, but he quickly resumed his cheerful demeanor, "Since you've said as much, I won't be presumptuous... In the future, no matter where you are, if you deliver this body-forging elixir to the local Danzhou Commerce Association, our members will definitely offer you the best possible price."

"Danzhou Commerce Association? Got it." Du Fei nodded slowly, casually picking up the golden card in front of him for a glance, then grabbing a small box on the table and tucked it into his arms. "May I leave now?"

"Hehe, of course, but our Danzhou Commerce Association welcomes you at any time," Yuan Hong said with a broad smile, his face reflecting the utmost respect.

"Hmm." With a casual acknowledgment, Du Fei slowly stood up and left without looking back.

Inside the room, after Du Fei's figure disappeared, Yuan Hong let out a sigh of relief. With a touch of gratitude, he murmured to himself, "It's a good thing that alchemist got the item in the auction. Otherwise, who knows what kind of trouble might have arisen..."

...........

Walking leisurely to the entrance of the auction house and lifting his head to gaze at the somewhat glaring sun, Du Fei couldn't help but exhale deeply.

His act in the auction house was a close call, but it was extremely draining regardless. Fortunately, he managed to obtain the relic of an alchemist. No matter what was inside, with the assistance of his system, he should be able to decipher it and gain considerable benefits.

As for the Marrow-cleaning Pill, he now had the money to obtain it. By making a significant purchase from a larger trading association, he should be able to acquire it.

Thinking of this, Du Fei felt very excited. He pretended to circle the vicinity for a while before slowly heading towards a dark alley.

However, just as he was about to enter the alley, a figure swiftly flashed in front of him. A remarkably lean middle-aged man then bowed slightly with a smile, "Sir, may I take a moment of your time? My young mistress wishes to see you."

Looking at the man in front of him, Du Fei slightly furrowed his brows. Judging by the strength displayed by this person, he was at least a Ninth-grade Martial Artist, and Du Fei wasn't his match. Moreover, Du Fei vaguely felt more than a dozen figures approaching from all around. If he declined the invitation, it seemed they might forcibly take him.

If Du Fei truly were an alchemist, he wouldn't be afraid at this moment. But right now...

After pondering for a brief moment, Du Fei said casually, "It's the Yun Family's young mistress, right? I expected as much. Lead the way."

Hearing this, the middle-aged man's expression relaxed slightly. He then made a gesture, guiding Du Fei to the side.

After walking on a fairly wide street for a while, under the guidance of the middle-aged man, Du Fei entered an intricately designed gate. Shortly after, an exquisite and elegant courtyard appeared before Du Fei's eyes.

Surrounded by flowers and plants, at the center of the courtyard stood a delicate octagonal bamboo pavilion. Inside, clad in white, Yun Yuqing was gently playing a phoenix-tail zither. The music was elegant and captivating to the listeners.

However, Du Fei didn't have a particular appreciation for such art. Seeing that the middle-aged guide had discreetly left, Du Fei didn't bother with courtesies. With a slight huff, he strode towards the octagonal pavilion. Upon reaching the pavilion, he casually took a seat opposite Yun Yuqing, remaining silent.

Yun Yuqing, on the other hand, seemed as if she didn't notice Du Fei at all and continued playing her zither. However, when the music came to an end, she subtly lifted her right hand and gently slapped the wooden zither, instantly turning it into powder.

With this peculiar action, Du Fei seemed as if he had not noticed and remained silent.

After shattering the zither, Yun Yuqing's enchanting eyes slowly scanned Du Fei. Moments later, she smiled and said, "Sir, forgive me for being blunt. If my guess is correct, you are at most an eighth-grade alchemist... or perhaps, just a ninth-grade alchemist, aren't you?"

The ranks of alchemists were much like martial artists, divided into three categories across nine grades. Seventh to ninth-grade alchemists, fourth to sixth-grade alchemy masters, and first to third-grade alchemy saints. Each rank within the alchemists was divided into three tiers, and the disparity between each grade was vast!

Faced with Yun Yuqing's guess, Du Fei silently commended her. He had somewhat anticipated this, having flaunted his status for so long. Anyone who thought carefully would naturally spot some discrepancies.

After a brief silence, Du Fei responded lightly, "How did you figure it out?"

Hearing that Du Fei had admitted it, Yun Yuqing chuckled and said, "You are indeed straightforward. Since that's the case, I'll speak frankly! There are three reasons I managed to deduce your identity. Firstly, if you were a high-grade alchemist, why would you concoct such a low-grade elixir? Others might not be aware, but I know that any ninth-grade alchemist could produce it. Secondly, if you were a high-grade alchemist in the Da'an Dynasty, there are only a handful of seventh-grade alchemists, and although I'm not the most discerning person, I can still recognize them. Lastly, you have the arrogance and demeanor of a young man. If I'm not wrong, I'd guess that you're under twenty years old. Am I right?"

"Clap, clap, clap—"

Gently clapping his hands, Du Fei faintly smiled and said, "Miss Yun, you indeed have keen eyes. Your guess is completely accurate... but you must understand, even so, I am still an alchemist!"

"Indeed! The lineage of alchemists is of utmost importance! To have achieved so much before even turning twenty, I believe your teacher must be extraordinary... And perhaps, that is the very foundation upon which you rely. Am I right?" Yun Yuqing replied with a gentle laugh, speaking leisurely.

Taking a deep breath, Du Fei wasn't sure how to react to Yun Yuqing's self-proclaimed clever deduction for a moment.

This woman was indeed too smart, smart enough to almost guess his identity. However, it was just almost! No matter how clever she was, she would never have imagined that he had a system that was like a cheat device!

Precisely because of her sharp intellect, she had drawn conclusions regarding his background, actions, and mysterious aura, weaving together an identity that suited him best. Even if he were to refute this identity that she so firmly believed in, she would probably still hold it as the undeniable truth!

With this thought, Du Fei almost burst into hearty laughter!

As long as she held onto this belief, he wouldn't face any danger today. In fact, he could even gain numerous benefits!

Taking a deep breath, Du Fei managed to suppress the myriad of emotions welling up inside him. All his feelings finally condensed into a cold chuckle, "Miss Yun, did you invite me here today just to embarass me? If that's the case, then I will take my leave!"

With that, Du Fei slammed his hand on the table, and with a slight turn of his body, he made a move to depart.